Black Immigrant Daily News

The Desnoes & Geddes (D&G) Foundation has extended its partnership with the HEART Trust NSTA to deliver bartending, customer service and merchandising training to 1,500 unattached youth through the Learning for Life (L4L) Programme this year.

Trainees will also benefit from paid short-term employment under the internship element of the programme.

The programme provides a second chance for unattached and vulnerable young adults between 18 and 35 years old, imparting skills used in the hospitality, retail, enterprise, bartending, and agriculture sectors that can stimulate income-generating opportunities and first-time employment. Learning for Life also teaches soft skills like financial literacy, professional comportment, and communication skills.

According to D&G Foundation Accountant Dennis Beckford, “Merchandising, customer service and bartending are among the most in-demand skills right now in the hospitality industry. By coupling lessons in these areas with soft skills like budgeting, and other interpersonal skills, we are preparing the students to transition smoothly into the world of work. This year, we are targeting at least 100 persons from each parish to receive training. As a result of our partnership with HEART, we have already seen high attendance levels in our classrooms.”

One location with an exceptionally high uptake for the programme is Portmore, St Catherine.

The bartending programme, which convenes weekly at the Marine Park Community Centre in Braeton, already has over 20 students. Several of the trainees have expressed a desire to pursue jobs in the hospitality industry and on cruise ships or to open their own establishments.

Twenty-three-year-old entrepreneur Zavaughn Cheeke from Dunbeholden started practising drink mixes at home in his spare time and decided to join the programme to gain formal training to kickstart his career in the cruise industry.

“I know that cruise ships have an active recruitment drive in Jamaica and the Caribbean. I am preparing myself to one day take advantage of that opportunity. This is my second week in the programme. In week one, we learned about career advancement and how to prepare yourself for the world of work. We learned how to prepare our resume and change it depending on the job we’re applying for and how to operate in a professional environment. I am looking forward to learning financial skills this week because that is knowledge that everyone needs to learn. My ultimate goal is to start a bar and lounge,” said Cheeke.

“HEART’s role in this partnership is to reach out and make contact with potential students for the programme and use our employment training structure to facilitate Red Stripe’s lessons”, shared HEART National Service Core Programme (NSCP) Empowerment Officer Duane Isaacs.

He continued, “The ultimate objective is to have students engaged, trained, interned and ultimately employed and able to make a meaningful contribution to society and the economy. So far, students have been excited and, more importantly, involved. Word has spread, and we’re getting a lot of interest from new students who want to join; we have already started gathering people for a second group. This is a promising sign.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Rédaction web
Vendredi 15 Juillet 2022 – 21h51

L’Agence régionale de santé (ARS) informe, ce vendredi 15 juillet, de la découverte d’un premier cas confirmé de Monkeypox (communément appelé la variole du singe) en Martinique. 

  Maisons médicales de garde : des …

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is reporting that 140 new COVID-19 cases were recorded over a 24-hour period up to Thursday afternoon.

Two COVID-19 deaths that occurred from January to July were also recorded on Thursday, bringing the overall coronavirus death toll in Jamaica to 3,166.

A 62-year-old man from Westmoreland and an 82-year-old man from Kingston and St Andrew are the latest recorded COVID fatalities nationally.

There were 98 recoveries on the day, bringing that tally to 92,126.

The newly confirmed COVID-19 cases brought the total number on record for the island to 144,489.

Notably, the island recorded a 20 per cent positivity rate based on the samples that were tested on Thursday.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 96 are females and 44 are males, with ages ranging from four months to 92 years.

The case count was made up of Kingston and St Andrew (53), St Catherine (17), St James (15), Clarendon (14), St Ann (10), St Thomas (10), Manchester (seven), Trelawny (four), Westmoreland (four), Hanover (two), St Elizabeth (two), and St Mary (two).

There are 19 moderately ill patients, seven severely ill patients and two critically ill patients among 1,183 active cases now under observation in Jamaica.

A total of 92 COVID-19 patients are now hospitalised locally.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

The Scientific Research Council (SRC) paid homage to nine women who have contributed to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field. The women, dubbed ‘Science & Technology XXtrordineers’, were recognised for facilitating growth in STEM and encouraging children to get involved in the field.

They are Dr Simone Badal, Dr Winklet Gallimore, Dr Michelle Hamilton, Dr Ava Maxam, Dr Lisa Myer-Morgan, Professor Alison Nicholson, Dr Phylicia Ricketts, Professor Marcia Roye and Professor Tannecia Stephenson. According to Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz, the recognition of women will help inspire youths and assist in reducing the gender gap in STEM. Vaz said data show that only 30 per cent of the world’s women are researchers, and only 18 per cent of women are pursuing STEM studies at the tertiary level.

To this end, he reiterated the government’s commitment to building the sector.

Vaz was speaking at the first staging of the Science and Technology XXtrordineers Recognition Programme at the Terra Nova Hotel on Thursday, July 14.

“We are cognizant of the important role of science in creating new knowledge, solving problems and improving quality of life. In this regard, we have not lapsed in providing the policy support through the Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) policy; or facilitated partnerships and collaborations with international bodies to propel the discipline further and support endeavours,” Vaz said. Executive Director, SRC, Dr Charah T. Watson, said the programme forms part of the Council’s mandate to popularise science and technology and foster a scientific culture among Jamaicans.

Dr Ava Maxam, who responded on behalf of the honourees, expressed gratitude to the SRC for the recognition. She thanked all those who paved the way for women in science. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SRC, Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee requested that Jamaican scientists encourage more participation in STEM by making their studies and work more relatable to ordinary Jamaicans.

The S&T XXtrordineers recognition programme will be used as an avenue to highlight and bring awareness to the successes of exceptional Jamaican female scientists through docuseries, publications and visuals.

NewsAmericasNow.com